Provocative Indulgence
by xxxMs.Mexxx
Summary: James couldn’t believe he was Lily’s new boss & neither could she. Not only were they forced 2 work on a project James doesn't really care 4, Lily's friends think that James is her OWGA...the 1 who got away. On Hiatus


**Hey there guys This is the First of a couple of fics that I'm intenet on writing adn before the second chapter is up another new story will be.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of JK Rowlings. Plus this fic is influenced or will be influenced by a couple books i've read, one by Julianna Morris and the other by Darlene Gardner but other than that all the rest are mine.**

**Oh I'm rating this M but its just a slight thing more than T so...err yeah...**

**Thank you!**

**Sasha**

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**Provocative Indulgence**

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_Chapter 1: Second Beginning_

A rap at the entrance of her office made Lily Evans look up from the proposal she was planning and then wish she hadn't.

'Well if it isn't Ms Lily Evans.' Came the voice and Lily almost groaned aloud—_almost_. She wouldn't really like to give him the satisfaction of knowing he got to her.

_James Potter_.

There he was in the flesh, her least favourite person in the world.

'What are you doing here?' Lily asked trying not to let her dislike for the man in front of her convey in her tone and restated her statement in an even more polite way. 'Do you need something Mr. Potter?' James Potter never came to her office, _never_ and she never went to his. They've rarely had anything to do with each other in the couple months since they worked together that _one_ time. She really didn't like being so antagonistic. It really wasn't like her but somehow he just bugged her without even trying.

'Yes,' Potter replied giving no indication that he felt the annoyance—that she usually kept in check—she radiated towards him but today was not a good day. 'And don't you think it's about time you dropped the "Mr Potter" business?' he added with a lift of his eyebrow.

'No we hardly know each other at all,' she said daring him to volley against the statement.

'I wouldn't exactly say _that_,' he said smiling, which irritated her further and she squirmed slightly. Damn the man for reminding her of that night.

Ignoring the comment she continued as though he hadn't spoken; 'besides there is hardly anyone here who calls you by your first name.'

He frowned at her implication, 'I am not snotty, and many people call me by my first name.'

'Yes the people who are above you do, not us peons, now I have a lot of work to do would you please explain your presence? I'm sure it's important seeing as how you're here.' Lily said prompting him to say why he was there.

James had to smile at her fiery attitude; it was a long way from her prim and proper attitude. He'd always loved to get her dander up and it had been a while since he had done so. The last time had been when they worked together and the time before that…was well was when they were in school. He knew she disliked him intensely. He wouldn't say hate because that word didn't exist in her repertoire; she was too nice a person for that but it irked him that she thought he was full of himself. Oh sure she told him he was an arrogant s.o.b a few times when they were in school but since then had never out rightly insulted him. He'd bet it was because she was his subordinate in the rankings of the building.

'So do I but the boss man summons us and who knows maybe he wants us to work together again.' He said knowing it would piss her off. He had no clue as to why their boss was summoning them but he doubted it was for the reason that he'd just presented to Lily Evans. He liked getting a rise out of her. She would get mad but at least she'd never hex him as she did back when they were in school.

'Us? As in us—together?' Lily asked shocked down to her toes. The last time that both she and Potter were summoned together had resulted in a near disaster. Okay she was fashioning stuff out of her imagination as much as she was exaggerating but they had ended up working together, or rather James was the acting CEO and Lily who had worked for her their boss previously as an executive assistant was appointed to work _for_ him.

'Yes,' Potter replied and raised an eyebrow daring her to even comment on anything both of them had done together.

'But I'm not Jared's executive assistant any longer,' she said huffily.

'I keep forgetting you're the Administrative Officer now,' he said pushing another button.

_Ha! Yeah right, Potter never forgot anything. _

Lily doubted he knew her well enough to do it so it must be that he was born with such annoying arrogance.

'He wants the two of us there now?' she asked.

'Yes, he has an announcement of some sort to make,' Potter said vaguely as he straightened himself from where he had leaned against the door jam.

Announcement was only a guess of course, why else would he call them both in? James thought. Okay well maybe it was to let Lily Evans know of _his_ new position, he thought smugly. James smiled he was going to prove himself to everyone with this promotion—even her.

'Well are you coming?' he said while he thought that it was highly unlikely he'd have any views on the reason their boss needed to see Lily

'Of course,' Lily said getting up. She straightened her shirt and collected her files before walking out of her office, careful not to touch him on the way out. James nearly grinned at her prissiness then sobered slightly she never cared much for his touch anyway.

It was ever since that night back at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry when he had finally gotten the date he had wanted from her, after he had painstakingly won her over. At that age he had thought that everybody wanted him including her and hadn't realised that at that adolescent stage of his life so when she pulled away at the last minute—because she hadn't wanted it to go further—he had let his frustrations rule and blamed her. Ever since then they've only spoken a handful of times each time had been Head Prefect duties when they were still in school and work duties when they had been assigned together.

Well he was not interested in her anymore so it didn't matter now anyway, besides he'd bet she was still a virgin.

The arrogant bastard did look good today, Lily thought snidely. They've never spoken outside of work since she started working there two years ago. They hadn't started their jobs at the same time—James had worked in the company every summer because he was related to their boss and had gotten hired for a high position as soon as he had graduated from Hogwarts.

That was half a year before her but Lily was never one to accuse a person of nepotism seeing as how James was brilliant at what he did, there was no question about that. However it was only a couple of months ago that they had worked together—it was while their boss was on his honeymoon—and that was something Lily would not like to repeat. Never mind that they did work well together even if it was only for that short period of time. She never wanted to do any such thing with him ever again.

Being around him gave her stupid urges like checking her makeup and fixing her hair. She would like to do without having to think about what she was wearing when she was around him.

She was a clean and cool professional at that time; showed little or no hostility towards the man who could drive her body mad with just one touch.

Shuddering slightly from the unwanted long ago memory. It was been the beginning of seventh year. Lily had finally broken down and agreed to go out with James. Their first kiss that night had been mind numbing and had been totally out of control from the moment their mouths had met. She could never forget breaking away and tried to gather her dignity while fixing her clothes, heart still racing and blood still pumping of what she wanted to do—with him, _too_ him. However there was now ay she was sleeping with a guy she didn't love and on the first date. Her parents raised her better than that—having been through the liberated 60's they preferred their children to do better than that.

Potter had gotten his obnoxious knickers in a twist and she had acted like a prude, which was just the catalyst, then everything had gone downhill from there. They'd worked together politely as head girl and boy but never spoke to each other outside of that bubble.

That practice was exercised again when she had come to work at the Ministry of Magical Community Construction Lily shook of her idiotic mind cruising to the matter at hand. That was then this was now. They had been too young to know any better. He had avoided her and she had avoided him and that had been that.

Now the only problem was that she didn't like the fact that their boss had called them in together.

Gina Cole the head administrative assistant greeted them with a smile and sent them both in.

'Good you're both here,' Jared Mallory said warmly before indicating that they both sit down, and then got straight down to business. 'As the two of you know I've been delegating authority in the company a bit so I can spend more time at home with Skye, more so now that she's pregnant.' He said and a faint reverence echoed through his tone when he mentioned his wife's name. 'Lily, as part of this reorganization I've named James the President of Clinical Construction division. I told him about it earlier.'

'That's … nice.' She said. _But what does that have to do with me?_

'Yes, but what I didn't tell him was that I'm appointing you as his Vice-President. I wanted you both to be here for the news.' He said smiling.

Lily choked on her breathing and demanded 'what?' in unison with James. She was glad he felt as dumbfounded as she by this announcement.

Damn it all, she had just gotten rid of the man, he was no longer working in her area and besides wasn't the last time punishment enough. Lily gritted her teeth, it wasn't as though she didn't want the promotion but how could she work with someone so impossible?

Jared lifted his shoulders in a shrug, 'I understand you two haven't always gotten along but you have skills that complement each other and you managed to work together well not to long ago. James, you'll find that Lily's abilities are just what you need.'

Lily blinked torn between shock and hysteria. This just couldn't be happening. He was going to be her _superior_?

'Well Lily?' Jared questioned.

She looked at James glad to see he wasn't happy about this just as she was. _I am not going to be the one to tell Jared this is partnership isn't going to work out,_ she thought. 'Uh, thank you very much for the position.' She said calling upon the warmness she had always felt towards her boss. He trusted her and valued her input to have let her move up the ranks this fast in two years—it was unconventional but then again so was Jared.

She had started out as his personal assistant when she had quit advanced law and now she was a vice-president for one of the ministry's divisions.

'It's not problem, you thoroughly deserve this promotion. I know the reorganization still hasn't been completed but I'd like all the new presidents and vice presidents to work on something together. It will promote camaraderie amongst them. Now I know the two of you will have different projects but I want you both to work on something together.'

'Right,' Lily said and James was still quiet.

James knew he should speak up but in his mind he was at odds with himself, Jared and Lily. Evans as his vice-president? Everywhere in that situation had the word disaster written all over it. He had chanced a glance at Lily, she had looked shocked and as well as she should be—she couldn't be his vice-president what was Jared thinking? She was … too …she just couldn't be his V-P.

'Lily I know you were interested in the miniature healing clinics proposal that you wanted aimed at small towns historical houses so I thought it would be the perfect start to your collaboration.' Jared said smiling and James figured he either didn't know of the tension surrounding them or he was pretending not to notice but the concept he had just spelled out was not right.

'_Miniature?_' James all but shouted when he finally comprehended the word. _Historical?_ What? He was to show how big he could be. He was in charge of building new structures not fixing up old ones. He didn't do that kind of thing he'd leave that up to Evans.

'Couldn't Lily work on this alone?' he asked.

'No Skye is really interested in letting this project succeed that's why I want you to be involved in this.' Jared and said and James sighed. _Skye_…was the magic word around his boss these days.

James sounded predictably appalled and Lily knew straight away that he wouldn't be able to stand anything on such a small scale. His idea of building clinics would be to build huge hospitals with the necessary glamour that comes with it.

There was no way they would be able to work permanently together. She was a muggle from a small town and he was a prominent part of the wizarding society. She came from a modest home while he came from old money and the purest blood. She was simple minded and he was a snotty, arrogant prat.

Jared leaned forward and handed Lily a file she recognised as the one she put together for him 'Yes so I want the two of you to go over it this afternoon. It receives your top priority since Skye wants it to be available to the public as soon as possible. She thought your idea Lily was brilliant and supported it totally.'

Lily almost smiled. She'd met the amazing Skye not too long ago and she was indeed a remarkable person. She worked her way up from a small town background her and had attended Hogwarts two years before Lily did. She was wholesome, and full of an air that made her seem so unique and real. Lily actually consulted her when she was planning the proposal because she had expressed a great deal of interest when Lily spoke of it during their initial meeting.

Skye wanted people from small towns to be able to receive a professional healer's treatment close to home instead of using other means which might make them worse off.

A miniature healing clinic for a small town, it was a brilliant idea—_if I do say so myself._

'Skye does love small towns,' James said smiling, which slightly surprised Lily who didn't think he'd related to anyone who's ideals didn't fit his. It was the only positive response she had heard ever since he'd shown up at her office. 'Okay we'll get on it as soon as possible.'

_Shock!_

'Good, so that's set.'

'Yes I'll let my secretary know to clear my schedule and we can go whenever is convenient for Lily.'

_More shock!_

'One would be fine,' Lily answered warily.

'Good, then I'll set it up.'

'Well then if that's all Jared I'll leave these files here,' Lily said getting up to smile at her boss. 'And after Mr. Potter reads through the project we can discuss it. In the meantime I have a few things to work on so I'll take my leave now. Thanks again for the opportunity Jared.'

'Not a problem, the two of you have until the start of September, whish will give you approximately two months.' Jared said taking them from her. 'And Lily?' he said and she paused by the door.

'Yes?'

'Your new contract will be ready in a few days, as well as you new salary; you'll always have a place with us.'

Lily grinned at him; he was telling her no matter what happened in her new partnership she'll still have a place in the company. It was a good thing to hear, 'thanks Jared.'

Walking away from the office Lily breathed a sigh of relief but it wasn't long lasting—James followed her. 'It's not afternoon yet.' She said and tried to settle her scrambled brain. Jared's news had thrown her through a loop and now her patient politeness that she always tried with James Potter slightly waned.

'Ah but now is as a good a time as any, you know how Jared likes teamwork,' James said smiling and Lily nearly snorted. _Him? Teamwork?_

James felt insulted by the look on Lily's face, the disbelief written all over it. 'What?' he asked, his anger sparked.

'Oh come on, teamwork? You?' she said then tried to smother a laugh—unsuccessfully. 'Mr. Potter you and teamwork go together as do oil and water.'

'You can't know how I feel about teamwork,' he said.

'I think I have a pretty good idea.' she said challengingly.

'Ha!' he exclaimed. 'One single date doesn't allow you know my preferences, especially since we've never willingly said crap to each other ever since.' Why the hell did he think for the slightest minute that he and Lily could work together with some semblance of respect?

That momentary lapse in Jared's office after he thought he convinced himself of not working with her wasn't going to turn out pretty.

'Maybe, maybe not,' she snapped. 'I've heard about the way you work. You spare no one, you need to be in control and feel powerful. I've seen you act as the boss around here remember? It feeds you, the power.'

Then she bit her lip looking contrite and he knew she hadn't intended to go that far with her opinions after all he was her boss now.

'Isn't that what everyone ultimately wants?' he asked not sure what she was getting at but intending for her to let him know what she was thinking.

'Not everyone is gung ho about it as you are. It must be really clawing your insides huh?' She said taking a step forward, 'that I was made Vice president I mean. With me being a woman and everything.'

_First she thinks I'm a snotty arrogant prat and now a chauvinistic worm?_

James wasn't thrilled about it but he wouldn't go that far in thinking.

'I don't have any problem with qualified women in business,' he defended, 'so don't put words in my mouth.'

'Ah but you don't think I'm qualified do you?' she fired back and James stared back at her, not quite sure how to respond.

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Meanings of words: 

_Nepotism- favouritism/bias_

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_I hope you didn't mind that i didn't seperate the POV's _

anyway...hope you read and review!

See there jess and Anna its finally here.

meh me hope tis gd


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